


Hold Me and Then I Can't Fall Again

by EmJayAnders



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-06-20
Packaged: 2018-07-16 06:45:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7256665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmJayAnders/pseuds/EmJayAnders
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the attack on the homestead Nicole races to check if Waverly is okay</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold Me and Then I Can't Fall Again

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from LP's Free to Love

Driving up to the Earp homestead in her cruiser was the most terrifying thing Nicole Haught had ever done. Coming out to her conservative Southern family, easy. Asking out the cheer captain for coffee Senior year, piece of cake. Driving up to a house containing Waverly Earp now featuring a bullet wound: terrifying.

Wynonna had called her just after the attack on the house, the 20 second call had consisted of a very frantic Wynonna and the words ‘We were attacked. Waverly got shot. Haught get here _now_ ’ and then she hung up. Nicole had no idea if Waverly was even still…no. No she couldn’t think like that, Waverly wasn’t dead, Waverly was fine- after all Wynonna hadn’t said how badly Waverly was hurt, it could just be a leg wound or even just a scrape. But her voice, her voice told Nicole that something bad had happened. She had never heard Wynonna sound so hurried, so distraught, so… _scared_.

The night flew by the windows unnoticed by the redhead, the beautiful sunset, the winding skeletal branches of the trees, everything went by overlooked as Nicole lost herself to the thoughts that whizzed through her mind even faster than the speed she was currently driving at.

Give her a ticket. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting to Waverly.

Waverly with her long blonde hair, adorable demeanour and the smile that made Nicole’s heart beat just that little bit faster. Waverly; the light in the dark that made everyone else shine brighter. Waverly who may not shine for much longer.

Suddenly the homestead loomed ominously in the distance, a black silhouette against an almost black sky marred only by the white speckles of stars- it would have been beautiful if not for the situation.

Nicole drew in a shaky breath, it rattled her ribcage and whistled through her teeth. Her hands shook but not from the cold and her jaw clattered. This fear, no this _terror_ was unlike anything Nicole had ever felt and it was at this moment she realised how deeply she cared for Waverly, how she teetered on the edge of falling for this small town girl, how she was so close to tumbling over that cliff.

Placing one foot forward Nicole began the short trek to the front porch. Each step was a labour that brought her closer to the potential devastation that awaited inside the household.

One step.

What if the wound was serious?

Another step.

What if she never gets the chance to fully tell Waverly how she feels?

A final step.

What if it was over before it began?

The closed door in front of her mocked Nicole. It mocked her lack of knowledge, it mocked her inability to think of anything but Waverly dead in a pool of blood, it mocked how petrified she was.

Another breath tore through her lungs.

Nicole raised her hand to knock; three short raps and then silence. The silence was deafening because in that silence were all the things she never got the chance to say.

“I love the way you giggle when I tip my hat to you.”

“I love the way the right side of your mouth twitches up before the left when you smile.”

“I love the way you make me feel like I’m the most important person in the world.”

“I think I love you.”

Which was ridiculous Nicole knew. It was far too fast, far too sudden; she and Waverly had only been dating for a month after all but before that there had been a month of flirting, a month of Champ standing in their way and another month where Waverly didn’t even know Nicole existed.

The door opened.

A beat.

“Haught, you made it.” Wynonna breathed a sigh of relief “The assholes who did this are gone now, we managed to drive them off.” She moved to the side to let Nicole in but the redhead didn’t move. “Dolls is out back with Willa cleaning up.”

“Waverly?” Nicole’s voice cracked and her nails dug into her palms so hard they drew blood.

“Banged up but okay.” The tension flowed from her body like water escaping a dam. Tears welled in her eyes with relief and her fists relaxed. She was okay. Waverly was okay. “It was just a graze thank God, I bandaged her up- I think she’s in the kitchen if you want to see her.” That’s all she needed to hear, Nicole stepped into the household smiled briefly at Wynonna and raced into the kitchen towards the back of the house.

There Waverly sat, beautiful even after everything she’d been through. Her cheek rested against her upturned palm and her eyes were shut but at the sound of Nicole’s footsteps they opened and locked onto the officer standing in the doorway. Sure enough the right side of her mouth tugged upwards in a smile before the left and it was all Nicole could do not to run and sweep the woman up in her arms.

“Nicole, you’re here?” it was phrased as a question, as if Waverly was confused by the redhead’s presence.

“Of course I am.” She replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Nicole moved forwards, coming to sit next to the brunette at the table. She reached forward, tightly clasping their hands together, holding out for physical confirmation of Waverly’s wellbeing. Waverly squeezed back, tears brimming in her eyes.

“No one’s ever…I’ve never had anyone-”

“You do now.” Nicole said resolutely, she looked deep into Waverly’s eyes “No matter what, Wave, I’m gonna be here for you.” Waverly smiled shakily before pressing a gentle kiss to Nicole’s knuckles.

“Thank you, really, thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me, it’s what I’m here for.” The words _‘it’s what you deserve’_ remained unsaid between the two of them but on some level they both knew they were there, hanging in the space between them.

Nicole took in the sight of Waverly in front of her, _really_ looked at her, committing all the valleys of her face to memory just in case one day she wasn’t there. “I thought I’d lost you.” Her voice cracked horribly and Nicole chastised herself for allowing herself to sound so weak- Waverly was the one who’d been shot, she should be crying not Nicole.

“Hey, hey.” Waverly stroked her thumb gently across Nicole’s knuckles where she had kissed earlier. “I’m not going anywhere Nicole, you won’t lose me.” It was meant to sooth her but Nicole just shook her head vehemently, the tears that had threatened to fall began to streak down her cheeks.

“With where we live how can I not worry? Wave, ever since I got here- and I’m pretty sure before that too- all that’s happened is people getting hurt.” She let out a shaky breath “Purgatory citizens; killed. Their murderers; killed. Wynonna and I; abducted and left to die in a ditch. You…” Nicole swallowed thickly “I’ve lost so much.” It was barely a whisper “I can’t lose you too.” Suddenly Waverly’s lips were on hers and her hands were running through her hair. Tears snaked round into mouths alongside tongues and Nicole’s heart raced faster than on the drive here. All too fast it was over but Waverly kept contact by resting her forehead against Nicole’s own.

“I promise you, Nicole Haught, you are not going to lose me. Not in this life or in any other.” It was too much for the officer, her mouth opened and before she could stop them the words spilled out.

“I love you.” Waverly smiled and closed her eyes, touching their noses together gently.

“I love you too.”


End file.
